Leon Taylor facts for kids
Leon Taylor talks to a group about mental wellness
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| Full name | Leon Taylor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2 November 1977 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England |
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| Height | 178 centimetres (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Great Britain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 10 m platform, 10 m synchro |
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| Partner | Peter Waterfield | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 29 May 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Leon Taylor, born on November 2, 1977, is a famous former British diver. He won many medals in diving competitions around the world. One of his biggest achievements was winning a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Athens. After he stopped competing, Leon started new projects. He now talks about staying mentally healthy, helps a charity called SportsAid, teaches yoga, and works as a sports commentator for the BBC.
Contents
Leon Taylor's Early Life and Sports Start
Leon Taylor was born and went to school in Cheltenham, England. As a child, he had a lot of energy. His parents were told to help him use this energy in sports.
He started swimming and gymnastics when he was just two years old. When he was eight, he began competitive diving. By the age of 11, he was already a national champion.
Leon Taylor's Diving Career Highlights
Leon Taylor represented Great Britain in diving for 16 years. He competed in three Summer Olympic Games. He won medals at all the big international championships.
Olympic Success in Diving
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Leon won a Silver medal. He earned this medal in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform event. His diving partner was Peter Waterfield. This was Britain's first Olympic diving medal since 1960. Leon had also competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where he finished fourth in the same event.
Other Major Diving Achievements
Leon also won a Silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. This was in the men's 10-meter platform event. He had previously won a Bronze medal in the same event at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. He also won a Bronze medal at the 1999 European Aquatics Championships. This was for the 10-meter synchronized diving.
From 1994 to 2006, Leon held the national titles in both 10-meter platform and 10-meter synchronized diving. He trained with the British team at the Ponds Forge swimming complex in Sheffield.
Leon Taylor's Unique Dive
In 1998, Leon invented a special dive called the 5255b. This dive involved 2.5 somersaults backwards and 2.5 twists. At the time, it was considered the most difficult dive in the world. It had a high difficulty score of 3.8. After a rule change in 2009, its score became 3.6.
Life After Competitive Diving
Leon Taylor decided to stop competing in May 2008. He had planned to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics. However, several injuries led him to retire.
Education and New Career Paths
Between 2006 and 2008, Leon earned a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Business and Finance. He studied at Sheffield Hallam University.
After retiring, Leon started new career paths. He now works as a public speaker and a presenter. He also hosts conferences and is a commentator for the BBC. He mentors members of the British diving team.
Mentoring and Media Work
In 2010, Leon wrote a book about mentoring. It was called MENTOR - The most important role you were never trained for. This book was based on his experience helping many athletes. One famous athlete he mentored was Olympic medalist Tom Daley.
In 2013, Leon became a judge on the ITV celebrity diving show Splash!. He returned as a judge for the second season in 2014.
Leon was part of the BBC commentary team for diving events. He covered the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. He also commentated on the 2017 World Aquatics Championships.
Mental Wellness Advocacy
In 2018, Leon gave a talk at a TEDx event. He spoke about how to manage long-term mental stress. He suggested using physical movement to help with stress. He has since made a series of videos on this topic.
In March 2020, Leon led a series of exercise routines for the Headspace mobile app. This app helps people with meditation and mindfulness.
Children's Book About Leon
Leon's diving career inspired a children's story novel. The book is called Leon's Magic Mantra. Sarah Griffiths wrote it in collaboration with Leon. They worked together using video calls during the Covid pandemic. The book was released in June 2022.
Leon Taylor's Personal Life
Leon Taylor has a son named Ziggy. His partner is Allie Hill.
See also
In Spanish: Leon Taylor para niños
